On Friday afternoon, during a lavish ceremony at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, Chairman and CEO of Manpower& Maintenance Services Audrey Hinchcliffe won the Live2Lead Leadership Award.

It was a fitting acknowledgement of a lady who has both built and lead a dynamic business for over three decades establishing it as a market leader.

Her triumph with Manpower & Maintenance Services is also Jamaica’s triumph and illustrates what can be accomplished through hard work, determination and importantly ethics and sound principles.

Hinchcliffe is a fine exemplar for future Jamaican leaders from whatever field of endeavour.

Below is the full text of her acceptance address: 

When I was notified of my selection as one of this year’s nominees for the Live2Lead Leadership Award, I considered it a privilege to be numbered among those identified for consideration.

It is therefore a singular honour for me to be here today, and importantly to have been selected as the winner. I appreciate the distinction that accompanies this award and thank the Live2Lead organisation and all those who considered me worthy of this recognition.

Ladies and gentlemen… I do not take it likely that I am being recognised for leadership in a world that seems to desperately need strong leaders. From households to the health sector, education to industry and commerce, politics, religion and all the other areas in between…none can survive for long without effective leadership.

Over the past two and a half years, especially, we have seen a sharp line of demarcation drawn between those who have the ability to lead effectively and those who don’t. With the emergence and rapid global spread of the coronavirus pandemic, we witnessed decisive leadership from countries like New Zealand, Jamaica and others, as government sought to contain  and control a virus that quickly spread to the far reaches of the globe, threatening life as we had come to know it.

As the world seeks to return to some semblance of normalcy, the mettle of all of us is being tested, as we strive to adjust and even re-invent ourselves to meet the challenges of these extraordinary times.

One thing I have learned over the years, as I have outlined in my book, The Will to Overcome: Reflections on Circumstance, Vision, Service, is that effective leadership is multi-faceted and complex. It requires vision and decisiveness and must be results oriented. At the same time, fairness and justice are also hallmarks of good leadership and it is important for developing countries, like Jamaica, to understand this if we are truly achieve economic and social development.

Leaders are also called upon to be flexible and creative, especially at this time, when “there is the need for fresh and unconventional approaches to leadership and the honing of related qualities and skills to meet the imperatives of this new age”.

The Will to Overcome… as well as Chapters of your life, Wise words for Women on a life changing journey, a little book I also wrote in an attempt not to waste the lockdown experience during the pandemic, draw heavily on my experience conceptualising and building first Caribbean Health Management Consultants Limited and, of course, Manpower & Maintenance Services Limited Group (MMS),that will celebrate its 33rd anniversary next May.

I have learnt that leaders must take the lead, hence MMS has always been out front, educating our clients and others concerning public health and other related issues such as dengue fever… . We were the first to stage a public awareness seminar on COVID-19, information which was also disseminated via radio. We took the initiative to donate masks, hand sanitisers and other supplies associated with the protocols as determined by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and other relevant international agencies. Recognising the impact that COVID-19 would have on schools, we also donated tablets to some of the students at my alma mater in Trelawny.

The Institute for Workforce Education & Development (IWED), the training arm of Manpower Group, was created to cater to the needs of those who are searching for opportunities to improve their skills, better their lives and make a greater contribution to Jamaica’s development.

I am also very proud of the M’Power Women’s Group, an MMS entity dedicated to the “upliftment of women through work and education”. This past International Women’s Day, we launched a scholarship in the name of former co-worker and valued employee Kareen Jones, who we lost during the height of the pandemic.

I mention all of this, not just to catalogue some of the projects we have completed or are in the process of executing… but to also make the point that leaders must be aware of the environment in which they operate and be prepared to respond to the needs and imperatives, not just for economic gain. They must also be mindful of their corporate social responsibility, while pushing “ the frontiers of excellence”.

I see this award not just as another trophy for my mantle, but as a reminder of the awesome responsibility that is such an integral part of effective leadership. For me it is not a signal of ‘arrival’ …but a reminder that there is still so much to do.

Thank you Live2Lead.

I take this opportunity to also thank the members of my family who supported and continue to support the vision that gave birth to Manpower & Maintenance Services Limited Group; our many clients who trust us to deliver quality good, services and excellence every day… and of course the thousands of employees who have served the organisation and helped to make it into what it has become.

I dedicate this award to all those who have helped me to grow and become a leader that you have seen fit to recognise today.

I thank you… .

– Audrey Hinchcliffe is CEO and founder, Manpower and Maintenance Services Ltd Group.